MultiShield

MultiShield MarineStop

MultiShield MarineStop can be used to prevent the growth of surface contaminants such as algae.

Blackpool Sea Front

The new three and a half mile poured concrete sea wall at Blackpool is attractively moulded, and the colour of sand. It looks magnificent, but unfortunately the steps became badly contaminated with Algae.

Multi-Shield MarineStop was applied to the entire sea wall, steps, and other masonry in the area.

The steps which were prone to the growth of Algae had become a lethal slip hazard. MarineStop was applied to the steps: the pictures show the difference between the treated and untreated areas after almost a year of twice-daily high tides flooding the steps.

Making Life Safer At Sea

Commissioners for Irish Lights (CIL), is the national organisation responsible for providing marine Aids to Navigation (AtoN) around the coast of Ireland under the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention.

Buoys are colour-coded Red, Yellow, Green, etc, to indicate the nature of the particular hazard marked; sand banks, reefs and other offshore hazards near shipping routes. In time, organic growth covers the surface of the buoy rendering the colour of the buoy invisible to shipping. The sheer weight of unwanted growth causes buoys to sink in the water rendering them invisible or very difficult to see from a distance. Smaller buoys such as the one pictured, are lifted on to the MV Grainuail where they are powerhosed, cleaned and repainted. Larger buoys are often brought back to shore where they are shot-blasted to remove all infestation. This is an expensive, time-consuming operation that must be done regularly to keep shipping routes safe for navigation and, in the end, to prevent tragedy.

In the April 2015, CIL coated a navigation marker buoy with Multishield Protection's MarineStop, leaving one section untreated.

In the pictures below, Kish 1 & Kish 2, the UNTREATED areas of the buoy are indicated within the blue serrated lines.

This buoy was deployed in the northern section of the Kish Bank, 11 kilometres off the coast of Dublin Bay.

The report below was forwarded to Multishield Protection by CIL on October 22nd 2015, and is reproduced here with their permission.

NORTH KISH BUOY

North Kish Buoy was attended 22/10/2015

The buoy was lifted & landed in the buoy pocket on deck.

Photographs were taken immediately, before cleaning. The untreated area is densely covered with seaweed and various organisms.

"The buoy was then power washed. More photographs were taken during the power washing process.

1. It was evident where the new coating had been applied. There was relatively no seaweed attached to the buoy, just a light layer of growth. The power washer was able to clean the buoy effortlessly & very rapidly.

Barnacles and other tough marine organisms are normally very difficult to remove. They embed themselves onto the buoy, however it was noted these came off with ease & any remaining ones missed by the power washer, could be lifted by hand.

2. The other untreated surface had large seaweed growth. This took some time to remove and also left streaking marks from where organisms had attached.

(More photographs were taken) once all was completed - Buoy ready for Deployment:

Clearly, the application of MarineStop inhibited any form of organic growth on the buoy. This should greatly extend their life at sea before lifting and cleaning is necessary. The end result will ensure significant savings for the Commissioners of Irish Lights while still providing a crucial service to the maritime industry.

A similar, unscientific, test was performed on a number of boats by members of the Galway Bay Sailing Club with similar results.

A new, improved, version of MarineStop has been developed since these tests were carried out. It will prevent the growth of any bacteria on surfaces submerged in sea or fresh water. This first stage of the food chain can not adhere to buoys or boat hulls, discouraging the infestation by barnacles and other molluscs.

Multishield's MarineStop is organically inert and environmentally friendly, containing no metals toxic to marine life.